What Is Jade? Well, to start with, there are two kinds of Jade: their geological names are Jadeite and Nephrite. The common names for Nephrite are Greenstone or in Maori - Pounamu.

Jadeite is found in an area around northern Burnese border with China. Nephrite is found in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Russia, Wyoming and in other small deposits around world.

Jadeite is a silicate of sodium and aluminium. Nephrite is a silicate of calcium and magnesium.

Do they look different? Yes, Jadeite is a rare mineral and lighter brighter colours have greatest value. Nephrite is richer in colour with interesting inclusions, rivers and other variations of colour. It can be either dark or light - from almost black-green, through greens, rust to light, - nearly white in colour.

Is one kind of Jade more valuable than other? No, preference is personal. Some people like dark stone and some prefer light coloured stone. The preferences generally depend on where you come from - your ethnicity. There are two schools of thought to be aware of: Maori school and Asian school of Jade appreciation. The Maori school prefers their stone to be rich in colour, either dark or light, with interesting inclusions, rivers and other variations. The Asian school has developed over last 5,000 years and prefers lighter brighter colours with clarity and purity.

Why is Jade called Greenstone in New Zealand? This name came from first European explorers who came to New Zealand in eighteenth century and saw Maori people wearing Jade tiki and other ornaments. They didn't realise it was Jade and called it Greenstone and name has stayed.

What should I look out for when buying Jade? Check for cracks. Hold piece up to light and study it carefully. If there are any cracks they will be a point of weakness and could cause your piece to break later on. Look for richness of colour. Some Jade can be muddy or dull in colour. Look for translucence. The beauty of Jade is seen in way light reflects and moves through stone.

Where does jade come from? Many of you will be familiar with Chinese jade in form of carvings and jewelry items such as bracelets and small carved pendants. You'll know that Chinese jade comes in varying shades - from almost white to bright green. Chinese jade is jadeite -a chemically distinct mineral from nephrite, type of jade found in New Zealand. While jadeite is a silicate of sodium and aluminum, nephrite is a silicate of calcium and magnesium.

Haliotis Shells We have a small group of shells collectively known as paua, unique only to New Zealand. The group comes from worldwide family Haliotidae, which contains nearly 130 species from oceans in both tropical and temperate zones. These shellfish have been used for food since ancient times and have figured largely in diet of coastal Maori. Most countries have their own local names, Abalone (North America), Ormer (Guernsey), Mutton Fish (Australia and early NZ) and Awabi (Japan) being some of best known.

Paua is most colourful shell in world, other abalone have some colour, but not brilliance of Paua.

There are three types of Paua:

Paua - Haliotis Iris The largest, commonest and best known of our species. The shellfish is black and interior of shell has cloudy waves of rainbow colours with blues and green being dominant. The shells were used by Maori to add a gleam of life to eyes in their carved figures. Today we process them into attractive jewellery and gifts.

Silver Paua - Haliotis Australis A smaller species readily distinguished by silvery lustre of inside, cross ridging of outside and by yellowish colour of animal when found alive. It lives in same localities as large paua but is not so common.

Virgin Paua - Haliotis virginea A much smaller and rarer shell, this paua occurs as two subspecies, one from southern areas and one from north. Both are most attractive and strongly coloured shells. The shellfish is a dirty whitish colour and is not often seen alive.